Death at a Funeral
Short description
A British family gathers for the funeral of its patriarch, and the day quickly descends into chaos. Daniel, the son left to deliver the eulogy, is overshadowed by his successful novelist brother and struggles to hold the ceremony together. A guest of short stature approaches the brothers with a demand: he threatens to reveal intimate details about their father's private life unless they pay him. Meanwhile, a cousin's nervous fiancé has swallowed a hallucinogenic pill by mistake, believing it to be a sedative, and begins to behave erratically in front of the mourners. Old resentments among the relatives surface as the service slides toward disaster.
Frank Oz directed the film from a screenplay by Dean Craig, with Andreas Grosch, Diana Phillips and Laurence Malkin producing. It followed Oz's The Stepford Wives (2004) in a run of comedies stretching back to The Dark Crystal (1982), and it draws on the same taste for farce and ensemble mayhem. Matthew Macfadyen plays Daniel, with Peter Dinklage, Ewen Bremner, Keeley Hawes, Andy Nyman and Daisy Donovan among the cast.
Made for about 9 million dollars, the film took roughly 47 million worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.3 out of 10 from around 128,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.9 from far fewer ratings. A critics' score of 6.3 from 130 reviews places it close to the audience verdict.
What's left behind the scenes
- Alan Tudyk and Peter Dinklage were the only American actors on set.
- Filming of the movie was completed in seven weeks.
- Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes, who played a married couple in the film, are married in real life as well.
- Initially, Peter was not intended to be short in stature. After Peter Dinklage was cast in the role, the script was specifically rewritten for him.
- During filming, Keeley Hawes was pregnant, and in the final scene, when she sat on the sofa, Matthew Macfadyen deliberately put his legs over her to hide her stomach.
- The photos of the blackmailer, which were not visible in the frame, were actually stills from gay pornography.
- The idea of the Peter Dinklage character bumping into a coffee table came from a real-life situation experienced by Frank Oz.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
